In my proposal for the new Abrams Nieman Fellowship for Local Investigative Journalism, I made one core commitment — to spend a lot of time on the road listening to people who want to share their … Read more
On March 5th, I woke up to a new short story by Roxane Gay in my inbox that felt post-apocalyptic: life in the U.S. 15 months into a coronavirus quarantine. This was a couple weeks before many schools closed, and … Read more
The pain of a journalist whose work is thrown into a deep dark hole by government gatekeepers deployed in a newsroom is like no other pain on earth. You hit the road as a young reporter taking an oath to … Read more
During a roundup at the Diamond M Ranch the other day, I dodged a 1,000-pound Hereford and nearly landed on a cow pie. Hazards on assignment at the eastern Washington spread contrasted with urban perils that I encounter on the … Read more
The 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission to the moon was coming up. During a brainstorming session at Lippmann House, journalists and artists were throwing around ideas for potential collaborations that brought together the arts, journalism, and tech to … Read more
The first member of the House to endorse Donald Trump for president pleaded guilty to felony insider trading charges on October 1—and when it happened, friends started congratulating me. It’s all because … Read more
I am standing, nervously, in the women’s bathroom. In just 20 minutes, the general manager of WCVB-TV will announce that I will be the next executive producer of “Chronicle,” the longest running local newsmagazine show in … Read more
It was the summer of 2017. New Yorkers never knew when we’d get anywhere. We texted “On the subway.” There was no need for “I’m going to be late.” That part was obvious. On platform after platform, searching “#MTA videos” … Read more
The most interesting stories last more than a lifetime. This was especially apparent to me on a recent visit to Shishmaref, Alaska, an Inupiat village near the Arctic Circle that is faced with the prospect of … Read more
About five years ago, I received an unusual proposal. A convicted murderer contacted me to say he wanted to write for the New England Center for Investigative Reporting, the nonprofit news outlet where I work. Darrell Jones sent a message … Read more
